Partition means for shelving assemblies



Sept. 28, 1965 L. MASLOW 3,208,777

PARTITION MEANS FOR SHELVING ASSEMBLIES Filed March 1, 1963 FIG./

INVENTOR. [ad/s M64 aw I Wv M United States Patent 3,208,777 PARTITION MEANS FOR SHELVING ASSEMBLIES Louis Maslow, Huntsville Road, Dallas, Pa. Filed Mar. 1, 1963, Ser. No. 262,104 4 Claims. (Cl. 287-49) The present invention relates generally to shelving units or assemblies and in particular to partition means therefor.

Relatively inexpensive shelving assemblies are available of a type in which horizontal shelves, which are formed of spaced preferably metallic rods, are secured between vertically extending laterally spaced supports also preferably formed of metallic rods or the like. It is frequently desired to partition such shelving units. However, in the past this has required a relatively expensive and complex partition structure which bears a disproportionately high cost relative to the overall cost of the shelving assembly.

I view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a relatively simplified and inexpensive partition means for a shelving construction of the described type.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a partition means for a shelving assembly of the described type which will be highly eflicient in use and which nevertheless can be assembled or disassembled in a relatively short time using relatively inexpensive and conventional materials.

It is a further object of the present invention to greatly increase the utility of shelving assemblies of the described type by providing the latter with a generally simplified partition means which can be installed or disassembled without requiring any special tools or experience.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following specification taken in connection with the appended drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a shelving assembly pursuant to the present invention and illustrates the manner of assembling the partition means therein;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of a shelving assembly provided with partition means pursuant to the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional View on an enlarged scale taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale and illustrates the formation of the partition means;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a clip utilized in forming the partition means pursuant to the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is shown a shelving assembly which is of generally conventional construction. As here shown, the shelving assembly 10 comprises a plurality of vertical supports assemblies 22 and horizontal shelves 24 mounted thereby. Each assembly 22 comprises a pair of vertical supports 12. Each support 12 is preferably formed by a pair of companion vertical rods 16-18. Paired rod supports 12 are interconnected by transverse struts 20. Therefore, it will be understood that two vertical supports 12, each comprising a pair of vertical rods 16 and 18, are interconnected by a plurality of transverse struts 20 to constitute a vertical support assembly 22 for the shelving assembly 10. The various parts of each vertical support assembly 22 are preferably formed of metallic rods or wires and the vertical support assemblies may be secured to, or mounted on,

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a floor or the like in any suitable manner. As here shown, the vertical support assembles 22 are provided with adjustable legs 50. The vertical support assemblies 22 mount the horizontal shelf members 24. Each shelf member 24 is a grid of frame-like assembly formed by a plurality of horizontally extending laterally spaced and parallel rods 26 which are interconnected in spaced relation by transversely extending underlying supporting struts 28. Each shelf member 24 therefore constitutes an open grid frame formed of a first series of parallel rods 26 interconnected by a second series of transversely extending parallel struts 28, said rods and struts preferably being formed of metallic wire or rods. While the described shelving assembly 10 is illustrated as having four sets of vertical supports 12, which constitute two vertical support assemblies 22, it will be understood that additional vertical support assemblies 22 may be provided where it is desired to increase the length of the shelf members or assemblies 24.

Pursuant to the present invention, provision is made to form partition assemblies 30 which extend transversely of the shelf members 24 for partitioning the latter as desired. The partition assemblies 30 are constituted by a plurality of vertically extending rods 32, aligned in the same plane, which are engaged in partition clips 34 as hereinafter described. The partition rods and the partition clips are preferably formed of suitable metallic material.

The partition clip 34 is substantially an L-shaped element which, has here illustrated, is shown in the form of an inverted L. The clip comprises a pair of arms 36 and 38 which are in substantial right angle relation. At its free end, the arm 38 is provided with an inward curvature 40 which is directed toward the companion vertically disposed arm 36. The latter arm 36 at its free end is provided with an inwardly directed planar portion 42 which is directed in the direction of the arcuate portion 40 at the free end of arm 38.

In order to form vertical partitions 30 between at least a pair of superimposed horizontally extending shelves 24, a clip 34 is preferably mounted on predetermined rods 28 of the horizontal shelves. This is readily accomplished by engaging the curved end portion 40 over a rod 28 as best shown in FIGURES 3 and 5. It will be noted that each arm 38 is provided with an aperture 44 substantially at the junction 46 of the arms 36 and 38. With the partition clips 34 mounted on the horizontal shelf rods 28, the partition 30 is completed by passing the partition rods 32 through the vertically aligned apertures 44 in vertically aligned partition clips 34. While the rods 32 may be inserted in the apertures 44 either in a direction downwardly from the top of the shelving assembly 10 or upwardly from the bottom thereof, it is preferable that they be inserted in a downward direction as this may be more easily accomplished, as illustrated in FIGURE 4. It will be noted that the inwardly directed free end portion 42 of the arm 36 extends obliquely into the path of movement of the rod 32 as the latter is moved downwardly in the direction of arrow 46 into and through the aperture 44, as best shown in FIGURE 4. As a result, the rod 32 when passing through the aperture engages said deflected portion 42 and moves the latter in a counterclockwise direction viewing FIGURES 4 and 5 to tension the latter by reducing the deflection thereof as illustrated in FIGURE 5. It will be noted that the various parts are dimensioned so that as the rod 32 passes through the aperture 44 it will be in sliding engagement with the horizontal shelf rod 28 on which the clip is engaged with the result that the rod 32 is therefore in frictional engagement both with the horizontal shelf rod 28 and with the stressed portion 42 of the partition clip. This results in a strong or tight frictional engagement between the clip 34, the partition rod 32 and the horizontal shelf rod 28 so that the partition 30 is therefore in secure and firm frictional contact with the shelving assembly under the stress applied by the deflection of the partition clip 34. This secure engagement occurs at least at two vertically spaced points along each partition rod 32. It will be readily apparent that if more than two shelves 14 are provided in each shelving assembly 14), the partition 30 may be extended to any additional number of shelves as required by merely adding clips 34 to the horizontal rods 28 of each horizontal shelf and using longer partition rods 32. In each case, it will be readily apparent that the clips 34 are aligned in vertical direction along the superposed shelves 14 so that the rods 32 may be readily passed through the associated sets of clips. It will be apparent that any number of partition assemblies 30 may be formed as required along the horizontal extent of the shelving assembly 10.

While I have illustrated and described the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be readily apparent that various changes and modifications may be made therein without however departing from the inven-- tive concept thereof as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Partition means comprising an L-shaped partition clip formed of spring metal, said clip having a first arm and a second arm extending substantially at right angles from a common bend line, an aperture defined in said first arm adjacent to said bend line, said second arm having a free end portion which is deflected inwardly from said bend line to underlie said aperture, and a partition rod insertable through said aperture into engagement with said free end portion.

2. Partition means as in claim 1, said first arm having an inwardly curled free end opposite said bend line for engagement on a shelf.

3. A partition clip comprising an L-shaped member formed of spring metal, said member having a first arm and a second arm extending substantially at right angles from a common bend line, an aperture defined in said first arm adjacent to said bend line, and said second arm having a free end portion which is deflected inwardly from said bend line to underlie said aperture.

4. A partition clip as in claim 3, said first arm having an inwardly curled free end oposite said bend line for engagement on a shelf.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 611,639 10/98 Leslie 287-49 1,028,651 6/12 Wright 1 287-49 1,672,245 6/28 Burkhardt 108- 1,744,196 1/30 Ames 248-43 2,919,816 1/60 Maslow 21l-182 3,108,828 10/63 Kus 287-49 FOREIGN PATENTS 203,251 9/23 Great Britain.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. PARTITION MEANS COMPRISING AN L-SHAPED PARTITION CLIP FORMED OF SPRING METAL, SAID CLIP HAVING A FIRST ARM AND A SECOND ARM EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES FROM A COMMON BEND LINE, AN APERTURE DEFINED IN SAID FIRST ARM ADJACENT TO SAID BEND LINE, SAID SECOND ARM HAVING A FREE END PORTION WHICH IS DEFLECTED INWARDLY FROM SAID BEND LINE TO UNDERLIE SAID APERTURE, AND A PARTITION ROD INSERTABLE THROUGH SAID APERTURE INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FREE END PORTION. 